White Powder
by DavidAlatriste
Summary: Toph decides to take over what looks like an easy job and is baffled at what the reality turns out to be


I'm the Earthbender of the Ember Island Eel Hounds and my prompts are: Toph, disgust and glove. My addiction is snorting baby powder. Word Count: 1,282

As Toph set everything up to bag the guy they had hold up in the interrogation room, Zarke, one of her detectives came up to the door that lead to her office and opened the door without knocking knowing full well that his boss could've locked it if she didn't wanted to talk to him, being able to see him coming since he started walking down the corridor that led to her office.

"Chief-" Zarke spoke up with a tone in his voice that was as informative as it was a question "We can handle one guy caught red-handed with white powder on his jacket's inner pocket. You sure you want to handle this personally?"

"Yes-" Toph spoke up roughly and decisive, Zarke could tell the blind woman was containing quite a bit of rage when she answered his question "I'd like something simple for once. All this politics and all this bullshit that comes with dealing with the council is not why I do this job. I couldn't care less about those politicians and their mistress and their insecurities"

"I hear you, boss. Besides, with you there I'll be able to go to my wife in an hour, tops" Zarke's mouth caught-up with his brain too late and cringed as he realized what he had just said in front of the chief, who was going through her second divorce.

"How…are…the kids?" Toph spoke with a calmed voice that made Zarke quite thankful that the woman was blind or else she would've made his head explode with the death glare that she would've thrown him.

"They're quite alright, ma'am. Akera sends her regards as usual" Zarke was hopeful that reminding Chief Beifong that he was married to a lovely woman would spare him from death and unemployment.

"Given them mine as well" Chief Beifong picked up a few papers from her desk and Zarke took that as a signal to get moving, so he moved and left the Chief's office with Chief Beifong behind him saying "Let's bag this scumbag"

The walk to the interrogation room was a quiet one, and as they walked down the corridor that led to the interrogation room's everyone they passed ogled at them and whispered their condolences for the poor bastard that was going to be interrogated by the Chief of Republic City's police.

Zarke opened the door for Chief Beifong and took the papers Toph carried from her, guessing correctly at what they were: All the paperwork to process this guy for narcotics possession and a plea deal to get him to denounce his dealer in exchange for a lighter sentence.

As expected, the guy in the interrogation room paled when he saw Chief Toph Beifong walking in, stomping the ground as she walked and even with her eyes hidden, the man shrunk under the non-glance the woman threw his way as she sat in the metal chair, Zarke taking a seat next to her.

Zarke decided to open up the interrogatory and try to use the fear the man had written all over his face to make it easy for him to see a plea deal was in his best interest "Mr. Chaio-" Zarke's gruff voice boomed in the room and Chaio snapped his head to look at Zarke with huge, watery greens that revealed to Zarke what Chief Beifong must have known the moment they got there: The man was so scared he was on the verge of tears.

"Let's make it quick-" Chief Beifong butted in, her voice sweeter yet even more threatening than Zarke's "Tell us where you got your stuff and from who and we'll go easy on you. Hell, if you put out in the next ten minutes I'll get you community service. You don't seem like the kind of guy that would handle jail really well"

"Jail?" Mr. Chaio seemed baffled at this "I can assure you this is all a misunderstanding. What I did is nothing illegal, just messed up"

"Mr Chaio-"Chief Beifong spoke softly, stunned that there were still fools that got caught red handed and tried to play it as if nothing was wrong "Do you understand the position you are in?"

"I got caught-" Chaio started to speak and Chief Beifong finished for him "exiting a bathroom with a nose covered in white and a bag of white powder in your pocket that I think we can all guess what it is."

"Look, I know it's fucked up but you don't get it! I-" Chaio tried again but Chief Beifong was having none of his lies today "You got caught with cocaine, Mr. Chaio. Plain and simple. That's 5 to 10 years, unless you tell me who's your dealer and you're willing to testify against him in a court of law. If you do that then it's just picking up trash on weekends for a year, that is, if you spill in the next…8 minutes"

"I didn't got caught with cocaine! I have kids!" Chaio screamed and Toph was surprised, it had been a while since someone could lie that easily to her. Hell, he was giving Azula a run for her money.

"Then I think that it's in the best interest of your family to start telling us the truth, Mr. Chaio" Chief Beifong leaned on the table, resting her elbows and placing her cheek on her half-closed right hand "There's no shame in seeking help for your addiction."

"I know that and I will, but-" Chaio said more calmly before adding in a hushed voice "it's not cocaine"

"Then, pray tell, what's that white powder you had in your nose and your pocket?" Toph said in a sing-song voice, already feeling sorry for this poor man and how he was going to be locked up for being a fool that couldn't see a good opportunity in front of him to get out easy. She had to give it to him though; he was a good liar.

"Baby powder" Chaio said, his voice barely above a whisper "Got addicted to snorting it after my daughter was born"

Toph barely heard that and paled when she processed what Chaio said, scratching her right ear bit her pinky finger she said "Come again?"

"It's baby powder. From my baby daughter's room" The three people were in a sepulchral silence that was broken when Toph convinced herself no man could be this good of a liar.

"Zarke, please check what he's saying" Toph said with a dry voice and 'watched' as Zarke stood up like an automaton and went next door to where Chaio's stuff was, and after trying some, spitting it out and coming back said mortified.

"It's baby powder, alright. The same I used on my babies actually" Zarke recognized the smell as soon as he checked the bag but he needed to truly be sure, because if this was true then they had a very, very messed up person in that cell. And that was no small deed in Zarke's book.

"Mr. Chaio-" Toph got up, and trying to look less petrified than what she actually was, said to the man in front of him "You need help" before turning around and leaving.

"Yeah. Can I go now?" Chaio asked as Zarke and Toph left the room and after closing it Toph told Zarke.

"Find him a shrink's number. And please tell everyone at the station not to bother me. I'm going to drink myself into sight to forget this ever happened." Toph instructed his detective and Zarke nodded, making a mental note to try that himself once he was done with the paperwork that meant releasing the man in the interrogation room.


End file.
